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WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University track & field team split sites this weekend for a final tune-up before BIG EAST championships. The team traveled to Seattle, Wash. for the Husky Invitational and to Blacksburg, Va. for the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite meet. Competition was scheduled in Boston as well, however the Valentine Invitational was cancelled due to inclement weather.

In Seattle, seven athletes met the qualifying standards for BIG EAST championships in their respective events. Andrew Springer (Westerly, R.I./Westerly High School) and Mark Dennin (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) ran in the men's 5000-meter invite, finishing with times of 13:51.72 and 13:54.68. Billy Ledder (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga College) placed in the top five of the men's 800-meter run in a time of 1:51.24 with Ahmed Bile (Annandale, Va./Annandale) not far behind (1:52.78)

The women's 3000-meter run invite saw three Hoyas put up BIG EAST qualifying times. Katrina Coogan (Exeter, N.H./Phillips Exeter Academy) was the first of the three to cross the finish line in a time of 9:04.85. Madeline Chambers (Rocky River, Ohio/Magnificat) posted a time of 9:09.20 and Rachel Schneider (Dover, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) also qualified, running a time of 9:17.58.

More success was found in Blacksburg at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite. Six Hoyas ran qualifying times in the women's 3000-meter run as Haley Pierce (Wimington, Del./Tatnall School) (9:43.98) and Emily Jones (Harvard, Mass./Bromfield) (9:48.54) took second and third place in the event. Hannah Neczypor (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) finished in a time of 9:49.64 while Jenna Davidner (South Easton, Mass./Olver Ames) finished nearly three second behind her (9:52.75). The other two women to qualify were Sarah Cotton (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) in a time of 9:54.33 and Meaghan Nally in a time of 9:59.54.

Brian Hencke (Blacksburg Va./Blacksburg) got to run in his home city and posted a BIG EAST qualifying time of 1:54.02 in the men's 800-meter run.

Two Hoyas had first place finishes on the day, including Bobby Peavey (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) in the men's 1-mile run with a time of 4:08.92. Micheal Reher (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius College Prep) followed Peavey in third place with a time of 4:10.03. Other men to run qualifying times in the event were John Murray (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) in 4:11.26, Collin Leibold (Falls Church, Va./Gonzaga) in 4:11.65 and Ryan Gil (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) in a time of 4:13.75.

The other first place finisher was Dylan Sorensen (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) in the men's 3000-meter run. His time of 8:13.08 was five and-a-half seconds faster than fellow teammate and BIG EAST qualifier Brian King (Sonoma, Calif./Cardinal Newman) (8:18.58). Silas Frantz (Henrico, Va./Douglas Freeman) rounded out the top 5 in the event with a qualifying time of 4:13.75.

Georgetown returns to the track next weekend in Geneva, Ohio for BIG EAST championships. Competition will run all day starting on Saturday, Feb. 16.